Improvement in breech-loading ordnance



I 2 Sheets- Sheet 2. W. HUBBELL,

Breach-LoadingA Ordnance. NQ. 43,412, Patented July 5, 1864.

'Wue sses y hlvenhr #52W ym arnnir trici-LO VILLIAM VHEELER I-IUBBELL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PFNXSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN BREECi-l-LOAUING ORDNANCE.

Spccilication forming part of Letters .Patent No. @3,41 dated July 5, ISG-1.

State of Pennsylvania, have invented a newI and useful Improvement in Breech-Loading Ordnance; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making part hereof, in which- Figure l is a ground plan of the cannon. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the axis of the cannon with the faucet-breech open and the projectile and charge in the chamber in front of it. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through the axis of the cannon with the faucet-breech closed, securing the projectile and charge in the chamber of the gun, ready to be fired. Fig. 4 is a View of the faucet-breech, exhibiting the opening through the upper half of its diameter to form the channel for loading the charge through, and the lower half of the faucet-breech is left solid to form a strong breech to the chamber of the charge. Fig. 5 isa front view of the faucet-breech, exhibiting the copper adjustable facing to tighten the joint at the breech. Fig. 6 is a view of the rear part of the gun. Fig.4 7 is a cross-section through the center of the breech, with the breech closed, as shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is a cross-section through the center of the breech with the breech open, as shown in Fig. 2.

The nature of my invention consists in the peculiar construction ofthe faucet-breech, the breech-cylinder, and its loading-hole and their combination with the side plates and other means presently described, to constitute a cannon or gun supported by trunnions for field, fortification, or ships use, of sufficiently lightweight and strength combined, and to load with facility at the breech, and keep tight, with provision to prevent binding from the expansion by heat and from dirt.

I am aware that iaucet-breeches with a charging-hole across through the axis of the breech, and about an equa-l portion of metal left on each side ofV it to form a breech for small-arms, have been made; but such a breech for cannon would be too weak, and would require the breech-cylinder to be elevated above the top of the barrel, both of which are objectionable. The line of sight should be along the top of the barrel, as in my improved cannon; also the screw and the cam-groove vand pin applied to such faucet-breeches are inadequate to tighten and release the breech for a cannon, and clog up with dirt; also I am aware that Holenshades gun, with-the eccentric plates and charging-chamber contained within the faucet-breech, requires a heavier construction of breech than this present gun, and also shoots past ajoint; and it is the object of my invention to construct the gun so as to diminish the size and weight, not shoot past a joint, and to have the gun sufficiently light and strong and otherwise serviceable, as herein described, to load at the breech, and use riiie or elongated projectiles to compress immediately on starting into the rifle-grooves.

a, is the barrel of the gun. b b are the trunni-ons to sustain it.

c is the top of the barrel and line of sight.

d is the breech-cylinder.

e is the riiled or smooth bore. rI`he diagonal line .indicates that the rifle-grooves commence immediately in front of the projectile.

In loading, it should be set against them.

f is the chamber containing the projectile g and the charge oi" powder, h.

isthe lower part of the breech-cylinder, which enlarges below the barrel a to receive the faucet-breech 7c.

"7' is a small hole, to discharge water and dirt from the faucet-breech through the bottom of the breech-cylinder i.

c-is the coned faucet-breech; Z, the loadinghole through its upperhalf, leaving m, theremaining metal, in a body to form a breech to the chamberf.

a is the loading-hole through the back part of the breech cylinder, with the metal solid around it at 1 l I l, Fig. 6, to receive the recoil strain.

o is a curved copper plate, let into the faucet-breech, with p p, its bearing-face, against the back facing of the chamber f. Inside of the facing is a groove, shown in the drawings, so that` the gas may from behind press the bearing-face forward and tighten'the joint at p p, Fig. 3.

q isthe shaft or projecting end of the coned faucet-breech, to which the handle a" is attached to work the breech.

r is the opposite end of the breech, which keeps the plate s in position. rPhe plates s s may be secured firmly to the ends of the faue maare cet-breech. One of them may be cast in one piece to or with the breech at its largest end. These plates s s have helical-plates attached to their inner faces around the faucet-breech, and

.working against counter-plates secured to the sides of the breech-cylinder at ttt t to release and tighten up the breech. The breech is brought u p with its face o firm against the rear face of the chamber f. The copper face o may be dispensed with and the breech-face left solid and plain to form the surface behind the charge; also, the copper face may be used plain or without the groove cut in it, so as to prevent the faucet-face from being burned, and the copper, when burned or "ern, can be renewed. The faucet-breech may be shortened and the plates s s let in flush with the sides of the barrel to lighten the gun. The barrel of the gun may be made of bronze7 cast around a wroughtiron or steel bore, or all of iron or steel, or all bronze, and the faucetbreech may be cast cf'bronze, and cored to lighten it; or

it maybe made of iron orsteel. l. do not limit myself to any particular metals to make the gun; .and a wrought-iron band may be shrunk on a east-iron barrel forward of the breechcylinder, and the trunnions be afterward attached.

a is a lever to close the vent y when the breech is open, as in Fig. 2, and to open it when the breech is closed, as in Fig. 3, to prevent the gun from being fired when the breech is not fully closed.

w is a spring` to force the lever over the vent.

o is a pin turning with the breech, to force the lever olf of and uncover the vent y when the breech is closed, as in Fig. l.

x is another pin on the plate s, to force the lever over the vent y in case the spring w is broken when the breech is open for loading, as in Fig. 2.

c z are grooves, one each side of the breechfacing o, to secrete any dirt, and a small hole extends from their base at right angles out at the ends to let the dirt escape.

The breeclrcylinder may be provided 4with a spring and a catch on the plate s next to the handle nto secure the breech when closed, and another catch or beveled face and shoulder to secure the breech when open. lVhcn the breech is open, as in Fig. 2, the projectile is inserted point foremost into theloading-hole a through and past the channel Z of the breech into the chamber f of the barrel against the riiie-grooves and lands, and the charge of powderis passed in afterward, contained in a serge bag, or the charge h and projectile f/ may be connected and inserted together, and thehandle r isturned down, which moves and presents the metal m of the breech next to the charge, inclosingit tightly, the helical plates releasing and tightening up the breech in turning it, and the lever a closes and opens the vent y to receive the primer to fire when the breech is closed.

Another mode of securing4 the plates s s and the eccentric faces is to secure the plates s s iirm to the sides of the breech of the barrel, having the eccentric faces formed on their inner sides around the shaft of the faucet-breech .and extending radially from it equal 'to the diameter of the faucet-breech, and the counter eccentric faces are then formed on the ends of the faucet-breech extending radially from its shaft-one of them on each end of itto tighten up and loosen this coned faucet breech-piece l above described, then the pins c and x, to oper-v ate the lever u, are secured to the shaft of the faucet-breech outside of and close to the plate on either side.

Vhat I claim isl. rlhe peculiar combination of the loading hole a through the breech-cylinder, with the metal solid around it, withv the channel Z through the upper side of the coned faueetbreech, and the chamber f in the barrel, for the purpose of forming a strong, light, and

serviceable construction of breech-loading cannon, as described.

2. rllhe automatic vent stopper or :linger u, operated by the pin 'w and pin o, as described. 3. Eularging the. breech-cylinder beyond the barrel, on the lower side of the barrel, and

leaving the straight line of sight on the upper part, l with the loading-hole n through the metal to adapt it to the faucet-breech for cannon, as described.

XVM. Witnesses:

I. FRAZER BoUGlrrEn, T. L. LxM.

WHEELER HUBBELL.A 

